UConn Reaches Historic Milestone with Win Over #6 S.C
UConn has gone 147-1 in their last 148 games, last losing in 2014
STORRS, CT - The University of Connecticut pulled away from No. 6 South Carolina on Monday night to extend their unbeaten run to 100 straight games. Gabby Williams helped guide the Huskies to a 66-55 victory with a career high 26 points and 14 rebounds. Williams is one of only two players (Kia Nurse) to have been with UConn during the entirety of this streak.
In attendance were former Husky greats, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart, and many more who have been a part of the run. What makes this historic milestone so incredible is how the Huskies have dominated opponents though out the last 148 games, going 147-1 with the lone loss coming to Stanford in overtime back on Nov. 17, 2014. During the 100 game streak, only two teams have been within single digits while 98 others have been dealt double digit losses.
South Carolina came into the matchup with a 21-2 record and ranked sixth in the nation. The Gamecocks two losses came on the road to Duke and more recently at home to Tennessee. A'ja Wilson, a sure WNBA Draft pick, started the game off great for S.C but once the Huskies clamped down on her defensively the Gamecocks struggled to keep pace.
Williams was a consistence force for UConn throughout the game and even while teammate Katie Lou Samuelson struggled on the night starting 0-8 from the field, other players stepped up. The amazing thing about this team is their depth, yes they play about seven players deep but each player knows what their role is on this team. Napheesa Collier added 18 points and was one rebound short of a double double while Samuelson finished with just six points going 2 of 12 from the field and 0 of 5 from beyond the arc.
The current streak is just another accomplishment for head coach Geno Auriemma. The eight time AP Coach of the Year and 11x national champion coach discussed how meaningful this was for his players.
"If this had been done by last year's team I think it would have been less heroic. It would have been, of course, they're supposed to. Look who they have. You've got the three best players in America. For this team to do it, given where we started and where people projected us to be, given who we had coming back and what everybody else had coming back? This is very appropriate."
The Huskies survived a close season opener against a Florida State team that was just ranked fourth before the loss against Texas. The team handled the big games versus Baylor, Maryland, and Notre Dame. When the stage is at its highest, this program gets its players ready and in large part that's the culture Geno has set.
The streak is one of four 100-game winning streaks in all NCAA history across all sports. UConn can finish this season with a 113-0 streak if they win the NCAA National title at the end of the year.
This team will only get better next season with a few transfers in Azurá Stevens from Duke and Batouly Camara from Kentucky sitting out. The Huskies have four top recruits coming to play in Storrs next season including the #1 recruit in Megan Walker. If the streak continues into the end of next season the streak will go to 151 by the end of the 2017-18 season.
The Huskies now have four more games remaining in the regular season and all are against AAC opponents. UConn hasn't lost a conference game since the American Athletic Conference was formed in 2013-14. They are 74-0 in conference.
Highlights vs. South Carolina:
WE ARE NOW ON THE WATCH FOR #200
Next year the Huskies improve keeping Gabby Williams, Katie Lou Samuelson, Napheesa Collier and Kia Nurse... think about that! The competition will get better but so will the Huskies, If UConn stays in the AAC, they will reach #200.
I know that sounds crazy but UConn has played all of the top teams, the elite programs and 28 of those 100 wins have come against ranked opponents. Until we see a complete team put together a full game from start to finish against the Huskies the streak will continue to go on!
